Sara Sharif: Dad, stepmum found guilty of murder of 10-year-old in Woking following years of 'horrific' abuse

Urfan Sharif, 42, and Beinash Batool, 30, were convicted after subjecting the child to years of horrific abuse. Sara's uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was also found guilty of causing or allowing her death following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Sara was beaten to death on August 8, 2023, at her family home in Woking, Surrey. Prosecutors described how Sharif created a “culture of violent discipline,” where abuse became routine. The court heard that Sara suffered catastrophic injuries, including over 25 broken bones, burns, and human bite marks. She had also been bound, hooded, and subjected to extreme physical violence, including being hit with a cricket bat, metal pole, and mobile phone. The injuries left her in excruciating pain.

Sharif, Batool, and Malik fled to Pakistan hours after Sara’s death, leaving her body in a bunk bed alongside a confession note from Sharif. The father later called UK police from Islamabad, admitting, “I beat her up too much.” Despite their escape, they returned to the UK on September 13, 2023, and were detained at Gatwick Airport.

Sara’s tragic death followed years of abuse and neglect. By January 2023, Sara began wearing a hijab to cover up the bruises at school.

Teachers had raised concerns about visible bruises on her face in March 2023, prompting a referral to social services. However, the case was dropped within days. In April, she was removed from school, and the violence against her intensified.

Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said Sharif had inflicted severe harm on Sara while Batool and Malik either participated in or enabled the abuse. The court heard Batool had admitted to family members that Sharif “beat the crap” out of Sara regularly, yet she failed to intervene or report the violence.

On the day of Sara’s death, Batool summoned Sharif home after Sara collapsed and called her family 30 times. Upon arrival, Sharif struck Sara twice in the stomach with a metal pole for "pretending," according to prosecutors.

During the trial, Sharif initially blamed Batool for the abuse. However, after seven days of testimony, he changed his story, dramatically confessing to Sara's murder. “I hit Sara repeatedly,” he admitted, adding that he strangled her with his hands. He denied burning her or covering her head with a hood.

Despite his confession, Sharif later backtracked, claiming he did not intend to seriously harm Sara. Jurors heard that other children associated with Sharif had suffered burns and bites, further highlighting his abusive behaviour.

Batool and Malik refused to give evidence during the trial, with Batool's defence claiming Sharif was the “sole perpetrator.” Prosecutors, however, argued that Batool was complicit, pointing out her refusal to provide dental impressions to compare with bite marks found on Sara’s body.

Chief Superintendent Mark Chapman said: “Through the course of this prosecution members of the public will have heard or read horrific detail around the injuries Sara sustained or the neglect that was administered to her. We would like to reach out to those people and say our thought are with them also.”

He said the circumstances of the case were “unusual” as he paid tribute to the call handler who spoke to Sharif when he called to report his daughter’s death from Pakistan.

He said: “Surrey Police worked tirelessly on this case in the early days with our partner agencies in this country and overseas. It is a hugely complex legal and procedural framework that we needed to navigate in terms of seeking individuals that were wanted for serious matters in this country but were overseas in Pakistan.

“That work was ongoing for many days and weeks following the discovery of Sara’s body. I would like to thank those agencies for their continued support in this investigation.”